The first task of Andrea Berta’s Arsenal career last summer was to sign a prized striker.
It was abundantly clear last term that one of the biggest gaps between the Gunners and Liverpool was the lack of a centre forward, with the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffering long-term injuries.
It meant Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard had to fill in as makeshift strikers and as such, they needed a big name to come in and bang in the goals.
While Benjamin Sesko was closely followed, it was Viktor Gyokeres who ended up moving to the Emirates Stadium, although it hasn’t all gone according to plan with the Swede.
As a result, Berta and Co are looking at adding more firepower to Mikel Arteta‘s squad this summer.
Arsenal open talks to sign new striker
The biggest priority for the Gunners this summer must be strengthening on the left flank.
Leandro Trossard is without a goal in 2026 while Gabriel Martinelli has only found the net once in the Premier League during the entire campaign.
Possible options include Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and PSG’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia but he seems particularly unlikely to depart Paris.
So, what else are Arsenal aiming to do? Well, with Gabriel Jesus set to exit the Emirates Stadium, they are searching for back up striker and they have found their man in the form of Club Brugge forward Nicolo Tresoldi.
That’s according to reports in Germany who suggest that the Gunners are currently the ‘favourites’ to sign the 21-year-old from the Belgian Pro League.
The German has been in red-hot form this term and that has persuaded Arsenal to open ‘talks’ to bring the forward to English football.
He has been valued at around £26m by previous reports this year.
How Tresoldi compares to Viktor Gyokeres
The story of Gyokeres’ time at Arsenal to date is a topsy-turvy one to say the least.
While you would have been a fool to predict that the former Coventry City star would replicate the 54-goal campaign he had with Sporting in Portugal last term, much more was certainly expected of him.
Gyokeres has looked good in spurts. His two-goal outing against Spurs earlier this year was the best we’ve ever seen of him in Arsenal colours. Yet, the fact of the matter is that his profile arguably does not suit Arteta’s system.
The 27-year-old is not a hold-up striker. He’s someone who loves to run the channels and get in behind. Sadly, there are two problems with that.
The Gunners repeatedly play against low blocks where Gyokeres does not have the space to run behind. As a result, they often have to play into his feet, something he is not used to doing.
That means that the Swede either floats through the game with limited touches or simply loses the ball every time it’s played into him. That’s the long and short of it anyway.
While Tresoldi is unlikely to come in and solve those problems immediately, he does offer a different sort of profile and one Arsenal could use to their advantage. Celebrated as a “Luis Suarez regen” by scout Jacek Kulig, the young striker has scored 17 goals in 48 outings for Brugge this term.
He’s extremely clinical, he’s quick and he’s a pressing machine. Compared to U23 forwards across 48 top divisions this season, Tresoldi ranks seventh for last third pressures with 26.1 per 90 minutes. What does this mean? Well, he’s a very hard worker essentially and a nuisance for any centre-back.
That sounds like music to the ears of Arteta who relies on his centre-forward to set the tone of the press. To his credit, Gyokeres has not been bad in this regard, so it’s arguably the technical and physical profile that makes Tresoldi a better option for Arsenal.
He’s not just quick like Gyokeres but he’s better in possession of the football, carrying the ball with more security. Okay, there’s not much in it, but the Club Brugge sensation is averaging 0.5 dribbles per game this season compared to the 0.2 of Gyokeres. In essence, the latter is barely ever completing a take-on.
Athletically and physically mature despite his age, he ticks a lot of boxes. He’s tall, he’s quick, he’s powerful, he works hard for the team and he knows where the back of the net is. Judging by that, you could say he’s something of a hybrid between Gyokeres and Havertz.
It’s hardly a surprise that Arteta and Co have signalled their intentions to sign him.
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